


Paradise In Your Fire Eyes

by CHROMIUM_lll



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Bisexual Sokka (Avatar), Child Abuse, Gay Zuko (Avatar), Hakoda (Avatar) is a Good Parent, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Iroh (Avatar) is a Good Uncle, Lesbian Toph Beifong, Nonbinary Aang (Avatar), Ozai (Avatar) Being a Terrible Parent, PTSD, Past Child Abuse, Sokka is worried, TW will be in the notes for each chapter, Zuko (Avatar) Has Issues, Zuko has PTSD and he's not dealing with it well, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, also he's super depressed, azula is nice, his anger burned out when he was 16 and now he's just in pain, talk of heavy themes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-03
Updated: 2020-07-03
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:34:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25046959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CHROMIUM_lll/pseuds/CHROMIUM_lll
Summary: When Sokka was 12 years old, his best friend Zuko came to visit him. Zuko with his golden eyes and burning smile and tumultuous voice that Sokka complained was too loud but loved all the same.When Sokka was 12 years old, Zuko hugged him goodbye and promised to be back soon, promised they wouldn’t be apart for long, and Sokka hugged him back and said “I know.”When Sokka was 12, the southern water tribe received a letter regarding Ozai’s imprisonment and Firelord Iroh’s ascension to the throne. The letter had, without sparing a detail, explained in full Ozai’s crimes and what he had done.When Sokka was 12, he wrote a letter to Zuko explaining how he missed him, and how he was sorry his dad was in prison, and asked if he missed him. Sokka, carefree and unaware of the horrors that plagued the fire nation prince, waited for a reply that never came.or,the one where the war goes a little differently, Zuko and Sokka are childhood best friends, Ozai is a piece of shit (whats new) and Zuko struggles to cope with his PTSD and the fact that he may have feelings for the watertribe prince.Angst ensues.[ON HIATUS]
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Bato/Hakoda (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 15
Kudos: 155





	Paradise In Your Fire Eyes

**Author's Note:**

> Hey fellas! this is my first multi chapter fic ever so please bare with me, I'm still figuring out how all of this stuff works! I most likely won't have a posting schedule, but I'll try to get chapters out ASAP! (and considering that I sat down, wrote out the storyline for this then banged out the first chapter in a few hours, I'll say the odds may be in my favor?)
> 
> The story for this fic is kind of all over the place, and I'll be adding more tags as time goes on and more stuff happens, so stay tuned!!
> 
> TW: none

_When Sokka was 8 years old, he attended his first peace festival. As the prince of the southern water tribe, his family's appearance at the event was an important part of the festivities, and he was no exception._

_The clothes were uncomfortable and the music was loud and the people were stuck up and he just wanted to go home. This year’s festival was held at the southern air temple and, even if Sokka respected the air nomads, he found some of their traditions to be less than favorable._

_The air nomads were some of the nicest people Sokka had ever met, and they told funny jokes, but they didn’t even eat meat! How could someone not like meat?? Sokka, while he was normally an outgoing kid, chose to stick close to his sister for most of the party while the adults mingled and drank smelly juice they called “wine.”_

_That didn’t last long, however, as Katara soon found herself enthralled by a young airbender (Oong? Eeng? Sokka couldn’t remember his name) who liked to play tricks with pebbles and wind. Sokka only huffed, making himself scarce once Katara and the kid (Uung? Seriously, what was his name?) began to play with rocks and screamed with laughter._

_Sokka made his way into the temple, sneaking past the festival goers, and scampered through the halls. Once he was far enough away, he snickered to himself, laughing at the imaginary joke of how easy it was to run away from his responsibilities as a prince._

_He continued to giggle to himself until he turned a corner and all but crashed into prince Zuko of the fire nation. Both boys stumbled, Sokka nearly falling off his feet as Zuko rubbed his forehead._

_“Hey, watch where you’re going!” Sokka shouted, glaring at the fellow prince, who stared back with a gaping mouth._

_“I- sorry. I didn’t know- I didn’t think anybody else would be back here. I didn’t hear you coming.” Zuko smiled sheepishly, messing with the threading of his robes as he stared back up at Sokka expectedly._

_“Psh, of course you didn’t! I’m the best ninja in all of the southern water tribe!” Sokka smirked, and maybe he wasn’t being entirely truthful, but Zuko didn’t have to know that._

_“Woah, really?? the best ninja in like- like the whole south?” Zuko gaped, and Sokka grinned at the other boy, nodding enthusiastically. “But that’s so big!! You gotta teach me how to be a ninja!!”_

_And of course Sokka agreed, teaching Zuko all of his best ninja tricks, and Zuko listened, wide eyed and soft smiled, and Sokka started to feel glad he came to the festival after all._

_When Sokka was 8 years old, he attended his first peace festival, but he also met someone who he would later consider his best friend, and maybe, just maybe, the love of his life._

\---

When Sokka was 12 years old, his best friend Zuko came to visit him. Zuko with his golden eyes and burning smile and tumultuous voice that Sokka complained was too loud but loved all the same.

When Sokka was 12 years old, Zuko hugged him goodbye and promised to be back soon, promised they wouldn’t be apart for long, and Sokka hugged him back and said “I know.”

When Sokka was 12, the southern water tribe received a letter regarding Ozai’s imprisonment and Firelord Iroh’s ascension to the throne. The letter had, without sparing a detail, explained in full Ozai’s crimes and what he had done.

Sokka didn’t think it could have been good, if Zuko’s dad was in prison, but when Hakoda’s face got paler and paler the longer he read, Sokka began to think it was worse than he could have ever imagined. Hakoda refused to explain it to him nor Katara, no matter how much he asked, and seemed to pale further at any mention of Zuko.

When Sokka was 12, he wrote a letter to Zuko explaining how he missed him, and how he was sorry his dad was in prison, and asked if he missed him. Sokka, carefree and unaware of the horrors that plagued the fire nation prince, waited for a reply that never came.

“Calm down, Sokka. You’re bouncing more than when dad let you have cactus juice for your 18th birthday.” A voice came from Sokka’s left, and the prince found himself trying to stop himself from rolling his eyes.

Sokka instead crossed his arms, staring out into the open waters, standing at the docks as if he were commanded to keep watch by the gods himself as Katara came to stand beside him.

The peace festival was still a few weeks away, but the other nations royalty arrived early, and today was the day the fire nation was supposed to make their appearances. Sokka was, to say the least, ecstatic.

Although Sokka hadn’t talked to Zuko directly much in the past grueling 6 years, and hadn't even seen him in person, Sokka still considered him his best friend. Sokka should have been mad, he thought sometimes, how Zuko never seemed to write him much, nor made any appearances, but he had come to terms with the lack of contact. He was still that bastard's best friend, and not even Agni himself would be able to change that fact.

Despite his communications with the fire nation prince being scarce, he had kept constant contact with Firelord Iroh himself. He and the old man shared many more letters than the two princes did, but from what he’s gathered, Zuko was having a tough time and Sokka couldn’t blame him for it.

He only hoped that when he arrived, things would be good again, and they wouldn’t have to worry about any of it.

“No can do, Katara. It’s been 6 years since I’ve seen my best friend and I’m going to lose it if I have to wait any longer.” Sokka hummed, drumming his fingers across his bicep.

Katara gave him a weird look for a moment, before turning back to the water, and Sokka could practically feel the beginning of _another_ long, painful conversation about where Sokka and Zuko stood with each other.

Sokka decided to try to humor her.

“You know, it’s been a long time since you two have seen each other...”

“Yup.”

“And, you know how people can change over time…”

“I do.”

“And Zuko doesn’t write much, nor does he visit…”

“He doesn’t.”

“I know you miss him, but what if he’s totally different now-”

“And so what if he is?”

Katara turned back to face her brother at that, finding his face twisted with annoyance, and hey, _at least he tried._

Sokka had heard this conversation time and time again, had listened to Katara’s worries and doubts, let her tell him what she thinks, and he’s tired of hearing the same thing over and over again. Sokka isn’t an idiot by any means, he knows what Zuko’s actions imply, he just had the decency to trust the fire bender more than that.

Sokka loved Katara, he really did, and he knows that she’s just looking out for him, but he’s tired. He just wants to spend time with Zuko, not get lectured on the possibility of his best friend losing interest in him, in their friendship.

Katara merely sighed, patting Sokka’s shoulder, before she turned back to the city.

“Dad, Bato and I will be here in a few hours for their arrival. Don’t fall in the water again.” She said softly, smiling when Sokka sputtered and shouted back _“that was one time!!!”_ as she retreated.

Sokka huffed, dwelling on Katara’s words a little bit, before shaking them from his head.

He really hoped she was wrong.

Hours come and go and, before Sokka thinks he’s even emotionally prepared for their reunion, the fire nation ship arrives.

Katara, Hakoda and Bato soon joined Sokka at the docks, staring up at the ship expectantly as the gangplank lowered, and fire nation nobles began to disembark the ship. Sokka knows that normally the firelord was supposed to step off the ship first, some sort of respect and power thing, but Sokka had come to learn that Iroh was nothing like the other firelords.

Sokka stared, clenching and unclenching his fists nervously, as he watched people- some he recognized, most he did not- step off the ship and make their way to the expectant crowd. Katara grabbed his hand and squeezed, a subtle reassurance, and Sokka squeezed back to let her know he was thankful.

Once the common nobility cleared, Iroh was the first of the royal family to step off the ship, giving Sokka a warm and seemingly sad smile, before Zuko and Azula followed close behind.

Azula shot him a glare that seemed in character for the sinister 11 year old he used to know, but there was no violence behind it and Sokka found himself wondering why she, just as Iroh, looked so damn sad.

It didn’t take him long to figure it out, however, when his eyes fell on Zuko’s face, and his breath stopped.

6 years, no matter how they may have been, was absolutely not enough time to prepare himself for the sight that was Zuko. His eyes did not look past the snow but Sokka didn’t need them to look anywhere else to see practically all life drained from them.

Sokka wondered, briefly, if maybe this was all some sort of ruse and the real Zuko was long dead, replaced by a soulless unfeeling being, cursed to stare at the ground and frown for all of eternity. Once the thought passes, however, he’s forced to face the unsavory truth; whatever had happened in the years they had very little contact had taken that bright, starry eyed child Sokka was oh so fond of and ripped the wonder from his soul.

Zuko’s freckles had dulled and his skin was paler than Sokka remembered, testifying for Iroh’s sad “Prince Zuko does not leave the palace much” comment he had read in a letter once. Zuko’s eyes never met another’s, professionally trained to look anywhere but, and his entire demeanor was off, shy and reluctant in comparison to the loud, boisterous child Sokka used to know.

What really stood out, however, was the large burn scar covering the left side of Zuko’s face, stretching past his ear and covering nearly half of it, the skin raised and wavy. Sokka may have not seen the other in years, but he knew what Zuko looked like, and Zuko did not have a scar.

Sokka felt Katara tighten her grip on his hand, and Hakoda’s hand tense on his shoulder.

“Chief Hakoda of the southern water tribe.” Zuko said, bowing to the man in a way Sokka had never seen him do, and his voice was soft, raspy, unused.

Sokka wondered how often he spoke, or in this case, didn’t speak.

“Prince Sokka and Princess Katara. It is an honor to see you again.” Zuko made momentarily eye contact before he bowed once more, and Sokka felt his stomach sink. This was not the reunion he was hoping for. Zuko was treating him like some sort of royalty and yeah, maybe he was, but this was not how they acted around each other.

They teased each other, made fun of each other, poked at each other's insecurities until they didn’t hurt so bad anymore. They didn’t _bow,_ and they sure as hell didn’t call each other _prince._

“Oh spirits, Zuko, _stand up.”_ Sokka breathed, not failing to notice the way Zuko’s posture seemed to tense at the exasperated request.

“Right. My apologies, prince Sokka.”

Sokka couldn’t do anything but gape. He heard Iroh clear his throat somewhere from the docks, and Hakoda seemed to get the message in an instant, because next thing he knew, Sokka was being pulled back and Hakoda was speaking.

“How about we show the firelord and his niece and nephew where they will be staying, hm? No need to stand out in the cold all day.”

As Sokka was dragged along, he couldn’t help but look back to Zuko, who wasn’t even looking his way, rather staring blankly at the ground distantly. Katara, tui and la bless her, didn’t say a word, and Sokka was suddenly remembering being 12 and seeing his father vomit one night long past Sokka’s bedtime after the topic of Ozai and his imprisonment came up, Bato rubbing circles into his back as Hakoda said something along the lines of “He’s just a child,” and Sokka came to the conclusion that he was owed an explanation.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, and have a wonderful day/night! sorry this chapter is short, I'm experimenting with chapter length! don't forget that you're lovely and wonderful and you are deserving of life! stay strong!


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